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Bernalillo Social Services Cut

Bernalillo County's money troubles are affecting the neediest. The county is cutting half of its social services budget. Some of the programs that will disappear still don't know, but one group already learned the bad news.

Updated: 10:39 PM MDT Aug 21, 2014

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Bernalillo Social Services Cut

Bernalillo County's money troubles are affecting the neediest. The county is cutting half of its social services budget. Some of the programs that will disappear still don't know, but one group already learned the bad news.

Updated: 10:39 PM MDT Aug 21, 2014

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Bernalillo Social Services Cut

Bernalillo County's money troubles are affecting the neediest. The county is cutting half of its social services budget. Some of the programs that will disappear still don't know, but one group already learned the bad news.

Updated: 10:39 PM MDT Aug 21, 2014

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WEBVTT BERNALILLO COUNTY'S MONEY TROUBLES ARE AFFECTING THE NEEDIEST. THE COUNTY IS CUTTING HALF OF ITS SOCIAL SERVICES BUDGET. SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WILL DISAPPEAR, STILL DON'T KNOW - BUT ONE GROUP ALREADY LEARNED THE BAD NEWS. KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER LAURA THOREN SPOKE WITH THEM ...AND THE KIDS THEY HELP. RAPPING: rule number 6, no fighting. EDUARDO GARCIA GETS ONSTAGE AND RAPS ... ABOUT TWICE A WEEK. HE'S A MEMBER OF TEATRO CONSEJO - OR THEATER OF COUNSEL. THE PROGRAM USES THE ARTS TO KEEP ALBUQUERQUE KIDS... OUT OF TROUBLE. We can take these kids yelling at people on the street, give them a microphone channel that frustration. FOR THE LAST 28 YEARS... TEATRO CONSEJO HAS HELPED THOUSANDS OF TEENS. THAT'S WHY MANAGER RUSTY RUTHERFORD WAS SO "SURPRISED" TO HEAR THAT AT THE END OF THIS MONTH THE PROGRAM ... WOULD BE GONE. THE REASON FOR THE CANCELLATION COMES DOWN TO LESS CASH FROM THE COUNTY. Money's tight. and it's a difficult thing to say to folks. BERNALILLO COUNTY'S SOCIAL SERVICES BUDGET IS SLICED IN HALF THIS YEAR. FROM LAST YEAR'S 1.3 MILLION ... TO 760 THOUSAND BUCKS. THAT MEANS CRITICAL ASSISTANCE WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT MOST. Laura: Do we know if any of these programs feed children or educate children? De La Cruz: Absolutely. They feed children and educate children... ...We need to tighten our belt or do whatever it takes but cutting for me is not an option COMMISSIONER ART DE LA CRUZ SAYS THE COUNTY STILL HAS MONEY AVAILABLE TO BOOST THE SOCIAL SERVICES BUDGET. COMMISSIONER WAYNE JOHNSON SAYS THAT CASH IS LIKELY NEEDED MORE ELSEWHERE. You have to protect those core mandated services we have to provide! Things like public safety. IN A FEW DAYS TEATRO CONSEJO WILL CLOSE ITS DOORS. AND JUST LIKE HIS FREESTYLE - EDUARDO GARCIA'S NEXT MOVE... IS STILL UNDECIDED. LAURA THOREN KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS. THE ICE BUCKET